EDUCATORS CAN FOSTER TRUST IN SCIENCE THROUGH GLOBAL PLEDGE Students can be leaders in both understanding and defending science
Trieste
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May 11, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time
For more than a year, educators worldwide have been forced to transform the way they teach. However, advancements in science, specifically telecommunications, enabled the shift from a traditional classroom to remote learning environments. Today, scientific developments, including health advancements such as vaccines and testing, are allowing students to return to physical classrooms.
The Trust Science pledge, a worldwide campaign to promote support for the scientific process and acknowledge the many benefits of science for society, offers a valuable teaching tool to help educators draw attention to the crucial role science plays in improving our quality of life.
In celebration of this year’s International Day of Light on 16 May, the pledge is allowing people, particularly educators and students, around the world to affirm their support for science and the scientific process.
Students can be leaders in understanding and defending science. Just as educators teach skills that build students’ scientific literacy to help them evaluate facts, they can offer ways for students to affirm confidence in the scientific process.
“A dedicated effort to building—and in some cases, rebuilding—trust in science will prepare students to be the scientifically informed leaders we desperately need,” said Dr. Desiré Whitmore, Senior Physics Educator and Staff Physicist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA.
Additional resources for educators are available on the Trust Science website, including hands-on activity videos, lesson plans, posters to download, activities and lessons, links to online resources and the Laser Classroom.
To date, the pledge has seen enthusiastic support worldwide with more than 2,500 signatures, including Nobel and Breakthrough Prize laureates, UNESCO L’Oréal For Women in Science prize winners, Presidents and CEOs of major scientific bodies, as well as scientists and students from more than 20 different countries.
The Trust Science campaign is organized by the IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The Optical Society (OSA), together with the International Day of Light Steering Committee.
To sign the pledge and to learn more, please go to https://www.trust-science.org
Contacts
For questions about how you can engage with the campaign, please contact: info@trust-science.org
For media inquiries, please contact: pr@trust-science.org
Social media: please share using #TrustScience and #LightDay2021
Social media links: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter
About the International Day of Light
The International Day of Light (IDL) is a worldwide initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The International Day of Light is administered from the International Basic Science Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO by a Steering Committee that includes representatives from a broad range of international partners: the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), Bosca, the China International Optoelectronic Exhibition (CIOE), Chinese Optical Society (COS), the European Centres for Outreach in Photonics (ECOP), the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), lightsources.org - the international network of accelerator based light sources, Light: Science and Applications, The Optical Society (OSA), Tampere University, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SESAME, Signify, Tampere University, Thorlabs, Transitions, the Université de Franche-Comté and Velux.
For information about the International Day of Light, please visit www.lightday.org
Contacts for IDL:
John Dudley and Joseph Niemela
2021 Steering Committee Chairs
Email: contact@lightday.org
Bethany Downer
2021 Communications Coordinator
Email: contact@lightday.org
Media Contact for Trust Science:
About IEEE Photonics Society
The IEEE Photonics Society is the professional home for a global network of scientists, engineers and allied professionals who advance laser, optoelectronics, and photonics technology. As a technical society representing the IEEE, it is a vital part of the world’s largest technical professional organization of more than 400,000 members dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, educational activities, and humanitarian initiatives, the IEEE Photonics Society provides its members in more than 160 countries the opportunity to grow professionally and stay on the forefront of transformational breakthroughs in photonics. PhotonicsSociety.org
About SPIE
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2020, SPIE provided more than $5 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org
About The Optical Society
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders in light science and technology. The society serves over 432,000 customers and 22,000 members from more than 100 countries who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the field. OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts through world-renowned publications. For more information, visit osa.org.
Contact Details
pr@trust-science.org
+1 703-907-0010
